Information Architecture Research

What do we really know about information architecture? Do we know what works? Can we defend our designs? Are we improving? In preparing for my upcoming seminars, I revisited the role of research in the design process, and surveyed the literature most relevant to the practice of information architecture.

It was hard work. When it comes to information architecture research, the knowledge environment is highly fragmented. But I was able to extract a few gems and gain some new insights.So, for all those information architects who didn’t spend their summer in a research library, here’s a brief summary.

Research in Context

Before we dig into the research itself, it’s worth considering the myriad inputs that shape design. They include:

Goals and Scope. The stated project goals and scope which may be conveyed in an RFP or as functional specifications.

What I’ve Missed

After all, we know from the research that collaborative information retrieval is a pretty good strategy. Let’s share what we find, so we can focus on the hard part of figuring out how to integrate what we learn from research into the practice of information architecture.